February Family Newsletter

St. Paul the Apostle Religious Education Program

815-725-6927

February 4, 2013

Dear REP Families:

The Year of Faith: Instruction on the Year of Faith continues with Part II of a four part series of reflections on renewing our faith and the Apostles’ Creed. See enclosed.

Safe Environment/Touching:Grades K, 1, 2, 3, and 6 had their safe environment lesson tonight. Talk to your child/ren about what they learned.Instruction date for Grades 4, 5, 7 and 8 is February11. Officer Hanke from the Joliet Police Department will be speaking to the 7 & 8th graders. If you have any questions about this important part of our curriculum to keep children safe, please call me.

Eucharist:If you missed 2013 First Eucharist meeting last week there will be a make-up meeting on tomorrow, Feb. 5 at 6:30 pm in the convent. Come to the REP office at the south door. I hope you signed up to carry the gifts at one of the Masses. You can still turn your sheet.

Confirmation 2013: Confirmation practice is April 16 at 7 pm. Sponsors are invited to attend but it is not mandatory. Confirmation is April 17 at 7 pm.

Confirmation 2014:Students in this year’s seventh grade class who will be making their Confirmation in the spring of 2014 will have a meeting in church on February 11 at 7:15 PM. The student and at least one parent must be in attendance at this mandatory meeting. There will be one make-up meeting on February 20 at 5 PM for those who are sick or have an emergency. Parent(s) and child must attend this meeting if they want to be commissioned as Confirmation Candidates at the 4:30 PM Mass on February 23.

Visit the Cathedral Day for Fifth Graders: 5th Graders are invited to visit and tour the Cathedral on Saturday, March 2, 10:00 to 12:45 PM. This is an excellent opportunity for both students and adult chaperones. Cost is $8 for students and $4 for adults. Get permission slip from REP desk. Any of the parents who want to attend with their child must have attended the “Protecting God’s Children” workshop. See Sr. Karen Marie if you have not attended the workshop. Call the REP Office for a permission form if you and/or your child would like to attend. These must be the REP office by 10 AM, February 15. If your 6th grader didn’t go last year, let me know if he/she would like to attend and I will see if there is still room for them to go. Call me if your child would like to go but you can’t stay with him/her.

Lent: Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 13. Lent is a traditional time for Catholics to make sacrifices, do good works, and pray more. Hopefully, your family will develop some practices that makes Lent a truly “growing time” where your spiritual lives will find “new growth.” Lent is a time to do something “extra” for the Lord. We want to excel in doing good works and to deepen our relationship with God. Here are some great suggestions for members of your family to do during Lent:

  • Attend Ash Wednesday Mass – 6:30 & 9:00 am and 7:00 pm
  • Attend the Parish Mission led by the Redemptorist Fathers in the evenings March 16-20
  • Attend the March 5, 7:30-9 pm Bible Study Lecture by Jeremy Hylka “Introduction to the New Testament and Gospels: Incarnation of Christ” There will also be an April, May & June class to finish out the lecture series on the Bible.
  • Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation – any Saturday at 3 pm, Communal Penance Service, March 19, 7 pm and see “Fortnight of Forgiveness” below
  • Stations of the Cross, 7 pm March 26
  • Attend Holy Week Services
  • Make some kind of sacrifice, e.g. not drinking pop/beer, candy, skip going out to a restaurant and with the money you saved make a donation to TEAM NICHOLAS, a registered Illinois Non-Profit Organization, set up honoring the memory of one of our former third graders who died last February to help other families with children at University of Chicago Comer’s Children Hospital
  • Make a donation or volunteer to work at Daybreak or Feed My Starving Children

Fortnight of Forgiveness in the Diocese of Joliet February 15 - February 28:

This Lenten season, many Catholic parishes in the Diocese of Joliet will have confessions available on the weeknights between Friday, February 15 and February 28. If you have been reluctant to come to the sacrament, have been away for some time, or just find it difficult to get to a Saturday afternoon confession time, this “Fortnight of Forgiveness” is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with Christ and his Church. Check on the diocesan web site to find night time confessions at nearby parishes. Here at St. Paul’s three priests will be hearing confessions beginning at 7 pm on Monday February 25.

Coming Up:

Feb. 4REP class, 5:45-7 pm; February newsletter is distributed;

Safe Environment Classes for Grades K, 1, 2, 3, & 6;

2014 Confirmation Essay #2 assigned to 7th graders.

Feb. 11REP class, 5:45-7 pm; Safe Environment Classes for Grades 4, 5, 7 & 8

Confirmation 2014 family meeting, 7:15-8:30, Church

Feb. 18No REP Class – President’s Day

Newman Institute Class on the Creed 6 – 8 pm, A-4

Feb. 20Confirmation 2014 family make up meeting, 5-6 pm, school

Feb. 23Commissioning for Confirmation 2014, 4:30 pm Mass; attendance is mandatory

Feb. 25REP class, 5:45-7 pm

Mar. 4REP class, 5:45- 7pm, 2014 Confirmation essay #2 on the Church is due

Mar. 10 or 11FLAG

Mar. 18REP class, 5:45-7 pm

Mar. 25No REP class – Spring break

Apr. 1No REP class – Easter Monday

Apr. 8REP classes resume

If you have questions, concerns, suggestions, or even good comments, please pass them on. We are always looking for ways to improve the program!

God bless you!

Sister Karen Marie

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Come Sunday at 11:45 – 2:15 pm or Monday at 5:45 -8:15 pm to learn about how God calls people to either the married life, single life, priesthood, or religious life.